Editor’s Note: The Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame curation committee recently received the opportunity to vote in and display this historic collection of bikes. They will be on exhibit in the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum during the rally.
If you know of a bike or bikes that need to be considered for introduction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Following is the Bonnie Truett story by Ken “Jackpot” Holloway.
—Fozz
Chairman
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Curation Committee
Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee 2014, Bonnie Truett was born in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Before the perfect storm of life set him down the yellow brick road in Wichita, Kansas, Truett went to work on the grimy AT&SF railroad. He couldn’t have everything.
He soon bought his first motorcycle, a 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster. He immediately tore into the nimble platform to see what it was made of and how he could improve the power. His goal to make it faster than any Sportster in town. After modifications and working with some amazing area machinists, Bonnie, hell bent for leather, outran everyone.
Mr. Truett would prove his worth every weekend on drag strips all over the mid-west. He set himself apart from other racers in many ways, including being one of the earliest racers to blast nitro-methane into high-performance drag bike cylinders.
He built his first double-engine Sportster in 1968. Double Trouble, became one of the earliest Harley-Davidson double-engine drag bikes. The daunting engineering formula challenged builders. Dual Harley-Davidson motors fought each other and their drivelines tried to tear each other apart.
Bonnie learned that if you retard the timing just a little on one engine, you could have them skipping down the track together like two best friends. Truett campaigned this nitro-burning double around the United States racing and winning against some of the biggest names.
He traded the dual for a much lighter and faster single-engine drag bike. Others would go on to race Truett built double-engine monsters making a name for themselves. Through these years he learned a lot about nitro and drag bikes. He built several doubles, but someone would buy the newest version before he could test it on the track.
He soon started a side business, Truett Frame Works. This venture impowered him to build chromoly frames for major famous race industry names. Many commented, “Truett Frames helped make us successful.”
In 2000 Mr. Truett’s accomplishments were recognized by his friend Jim Wear when he was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado alongside his friend and business partner Paul Osborn.
Truett drew on scraps of paper and built with handmade tools and fixtures. He did all of this because he had endless dreams and the confidence to never give up.
